Various methods, systems and apparatus are known to handle wastewater and/or storm water. Culverts, catch basins, storm sewers and outfalls have been used. Although such systems provide substantial advantages over direct discharge into an existing water body, they preclude other uses of the land. This is particularly important where land values are high such as in urban, residential and industrial areas. In addition, such known approaches have adverse environmental effects, for example, by lowering local water tables when storm water is prohibited from dispensing into the earth.
Consequently, it is desirable to direct rain or storm water into the earth. This has typically been done by using infiltration trenches filled with large gravel or crushed stone with perforated pipes running therethrough. However, stone filled trench systems are expensive and inefficient since the stone occupies a substantial volume, limiting the ability of the system to handle large surge volumes of water associated with heavy storms. Both the stone and the perforated pipe are also susceptible to clogging by particles or debris carried by water.
In order to solve such problems and disadvantages, underground drainage chambers have been introduced in the market for handling storm water or sewage system effluent, although not limited thereto. Such chambers typically have an arch-shaped cross-section and are relatively long with open bottoms for dispersing water to the ground. These chambers may be laid on a gravel bed side-by-side in parallel rows to create large drainage systems. End portions of the chambers may be connected to a catch basin, typically through a pipe network, in order to efficiently distribute high velocity storm water.
Storm water chambers have been used for gathering and dispensing liquids such as, for example, storm water and waste water into the ground. Such storm water chambers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,226,241, entitled STORM WATER CHAMBER FOR GANGING TOGETHER MULTIPLE CHAMBERS, assigned to Cultec, Inc., which this application incorporates by reference in its entirety.
When large drainage systems are built away from the collection point, it can be difficult to convey the liquid to the drainage system for proper dispersal. As an example, a large shopping development may have a parking lot that collects storm water and a large drainage system built some distance away. Therefore, the liquid collected from the parking lot must be conveyed to the drainage system. Conveying that storm water to the drainage system for proper liquid dispersal can require a sophisticated and expensive system of piping. Pipes may also clog easily as refuse, leaves and other objects are carried by the water into the pipes.
Therefore, it would be beneficial to have a superior system for liquid storage and conveyance through the use of a storm water chamber with floor liner and method of use.